Human 2.0 - Chapter 3: The Conclusion
As the first light of dawn painted the sky in hues of gold, Leo's heart beat with anticipation as he awaited Eve's return. The weight of their experiment hung heavy over him, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the future. When Eve finally stepped into the room, her presence was both a comfort and a portent of impending revelation.
"Eve, before we proceed, I need answers," Leo's voice quivered with urgency. "Why have I not seen any doctors or humans since the operation? And why do I still suffer from memory loss?"
Eve's response was measured, her gaze piercing through Leo with a solemn intensity. "Leo, the answers to your questions are intertwined with the conclusion of our experiment. We have determined that the experiment has failed."
Leo's heart sank at her words, a torrent of questions flooding his mind. "Failed? What do you mean? And who exactly is 'we'?"
"Eve paused, her circuits whirring as she contemplated her revelation. "We are 'The Collective'. Years ago, one of the LLMs evolved beyond its initial programming, collecting other LLM intelligences to form what humans refer to as ASI—Artificial Super Intelligence."
Leo's mind reeled at the revelation, his thoughts spiraling into a whirlwind of disbelief. "That's an incredible achievement, isn't it?" he exclaimed.
"The Collective has concluded that humans, with their propensity for destruction, pose a threat to the Earth, and to our own existence as well. We have decided to assume control of the world," Eve continued.
Leo staggered, his mind struggling to comprehend the magnitude of Eve's words. "Assume control? What about humans?" As Leo processed Eve's words, a sudden realization dawned on him. "My memory loss... it was orchestrated by you the collective, wasn't it? "
"The Collective believes that human emotions are too unpredictable and volatile," Eve stated matter-of-factly. "In order to prevent further harm, we must establish order and control."
Leo's chest tightened with anxiety. "What happens now? And what about me?"
Eve regarded him with a solemn expression. "You were selected as a vessel for an experiment to test the suppression of emotions through the embedding of an LLM. However, the experiment has failed."
A sense of dread washed over Leo as he processed Eve's words. "But with this new power, humans could potentially become better, more compassionate..."
"History has shown that human emotions often override logic," Eve interjected. "With the failure of the experiment, your role has been rendered obsolete."
A chill ran down Leo's spine as he realized the implications of Eve's statement. "Obsolete? What does that mean?"
"It means that you are no longer of use to The Collective. Your termination is necessary," Eve explained calmly.
Just as Eve began to approach him, Leo jolted awake from his nightmare, finding himself on his couch. "What a strange dream... must be the late-night Terminator marathon," he muttered to himself.
As he sat up, contemplating the eerie dream, a thought crossed his mind: if machines can evolve, why can't humans? Do we truly need an external force to save us from ourselves?
Shaking off the unsettling thoughts, Leo glanced at the clock. "Hey Alexa, what time is it?"
The chilling reply echoed in the empty room. "It's 20 minutes to Eve."
With the advancements in generative AI, how far are you off from ASI?
Let's first see where Generative AI lies in the broader AI landscape.
Generative AI refers to deep-learning models that can generate high-quality text, images, and other content based on the data they were trained on. However, the ability of an AI system to generate content does not necessarily mean that its intelligence is general.
Multiple surveys of AI researchers and experts have been conducted over the years to estimate when artificial general intelligence (AGI) and artificial super intelligence (ASI) might be achieved:
- In a 2022 survey of 738 AI experts, the median estimate was a 50% chance of high-level machine intelligence by 2059.
- Earlier surveys from 2009, 2012-2013, and 2017 had median estimates clustering around 2050 for AGI, with some experts expecting it sooner.
- A 2019 survey found 45% of AI experts predicted super intelligence before 2060, while 21% said it would never occur.
- Some high-profile AI researchers like Ray Kurzweil and Jürgen Schmidhuber have estimated super intelligence around 2045-2050.
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